Celebrating Norooz, or Persian New Year as an Armenian
I would be lying if I said that I solely identified myself as an Armenian. With my family from Tehran and a maternal grandmother from Tabriz who spoke Armenian, Farsi and Turkish, I have as much Iranian influence running through my veins as I do Armenian and American.
My parents grew up during a time in [...]
A Tale of Two Countries: Armenia and Haiti
Chad Isenhart is a 20-something missionary from Tacoma, Wa. in a unique position. Like most people his age, Isenhart has done some traveling, however unlike his peers who jet off to exotic locales like Cabo San Lucas, Hawaii or Ibiza, he has been spending time in El Salvador, Moldova, Nicaragua and Georgia and participating in [...]
Armenia, Diaspora Aid in Haiti Disaster Relief
In the wake of the magnitude 7 earthquake that struck only 10 miles from Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince on Tuesday, Armenia, who is all to familiar with the disaster after an earthquake and several diaspora organizations are sending help to the Caribbean country.
Nikolay Grigorian, a spokesman for the Armenian Rescue Service told RFE/RL that a 52 [...]
Haitian Capital Suffers Devastating Earthquake, Aftershocks
Although the Haitian capital of Port-Au-Prince is more than 6600 miles away from Yerevan, Armenians perhaps best can understand what the people of Haiti might be going through, as a 7.0 earthquake struck the Caribbean country late Tuesday afternoon, causing mass destruction and casualties, much like the 1988 Spitak Earthquake which registered at 6.9 on [...]
Scores of Women Die of Childbirth in India
If a person dies, she dies,” says Suresh S., the neighbor of a deceased pregnant woman in Uttar Pradesh, India. “If someone hangs himself then it becomes a police case. But if someone dies in a hospital, then no one cares.” Suresh is quoted in “No Tally of the Anguish,” a report published in October [...]
Los Angeles Says ‘Free Iran’
On a busy stretch of the 10 freeway in Los Angeles, where cars whiz by at the speed of light when they’re not in bumper to bumper traffic, sits a plywood sign that stands out amongst the business advertisements, dilapidated buildings and freeway signs.
Decorated in red, white and green - the colors of the Iranian [...]
Ukranian Band Los Colorados Covers Katy Perry
At first glance, Los Colorados, a Ukranian quartet that was formed in 2006, seems like they wouldn’t be able to compete with today’s Western pop music market, but along comes a little number called “Hot N Cold” by Katy Perry and Los Colorados becomes a sensation, on the internet at least, with over 2 million [...]
Andy Madadian, Jon Bon Jovi & Richie Sambora Stand By Iran
Popular Iranian-Armenian singer Andy Madadian joined the likes of Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora and record producers Don Was and John Shanks on June 24 to record a special version of the Ben E. King classic “Stand By Me” with lyrics in English and Farsi as a a musical message of worldwide solidarity with the people [...]
Musician Armen Chakmakian Composes Song for Neda
The ongoing protests over a rigged election and freedom from a 30-year regime in Iran have inspired Grammy-nominated musician Armen Chakmakian to compose a song for Neda Agha-Soltan, the woman who died on the streets of Tehran from a single gunshot wound, yet has been a symbol of this new, brewing revolution and garnered an [...]
Power of Social Media & Film: Moving Videos on Iran Crisis
No longer can anyone deny the incredible power of social media that has captured Iran and the aftermath of their presidential election right dead in its center. Twitter and Facebook have not only revolutionized the way information is spread and reported, but they have given a face, heart and soul to the people of a [...]